Konnak Patieupachem? (Tiatr Review)

Francis  de Tuem’s 6^th tiatr, Konnak Patieupachem? was adverstised as ‘housefull’ days before the show’s release, hinting at the overwhelming interest of people in his shows. He is well-known for his political satire and courage to address pressing issues in a straightforward manner. The show released in Goa about a month back and has performed numerous shows in Goa and the Gulf.

The story was simple but the political dimension was forced into it. It seemed like three separate and distinct shows were going on simultaneously. While the main show was alternated by an unrelated comedy sequence, the main show itself seemed to have two parts, the social and the political. The two were merged together in an uneven fix that left a lot to be desired. The acting was far from a professional standard. The songs and music however were a real hit. The lyrics were beautiful and the creativity of presentation were really worth it. The musicians did a fine job although I was surprised at the absence of a trumpet. The comedy was below the belt in both content and quality. While it fulfilled its purpose of lightening the mood it hardly proved an entertaining alternative to the main narrative. 

This is the first tiatr of Francis de Tuem that I have seen and I wasn’t too impressed. Although I’m eagerly waiting for the songs to be released. They were about the only good thing in this mish-mash of a tiatr.